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Twin City CITO by Jeremy Bernier/Team Norac GC206T9

There was a nice article in today's lewiston Sun Journal about the efforts of a geocaching event in cleaning trash out of local walking trails. I was under the weather and not able to attend but I sure am proud and impressed with all the work done by cachers. Nice job all!

There were two other things going on for us this weekend so we did not attend.... wish we could. These events are important and offer the opportunity to "give back" to the community. There is a CITO event along the Penobscot River each year that I have been unable to attend because it conflicts with a committment I have made to the American Cancer Society during that same weekend. Kudos go out to those who organize these events and to those that take part. You represent well the geocaching community.

Um.... Give what back? Yeah - I get the road in front of the house plowed in winter, but that's offset by the amount I have to pay to replace mailboxes.

I fully support charitable giving and volunteerism, but "giving back"????

Not to mention our prisons are full of people who have taken and taken, and probably some of them are the ones whose trash is all over the road, and yet they're sitting in a warm place with TV and internet and meals every day! Why aren't they out there "giving back"???

I donate cash to several charities (several of them promoted in these forums: TAT's charity kayak trip, EMSDaniel's pathtags, and even "Pints for Prostates"...). I serve voluntarily on 2 municipal committees, the local library's board of trustees, and the executive board of a regional economic development organization. I don't think I'm a stranger to community service/giving.

But I don't like the term "giving back". I don't owe anyone anything. I have no debts. No mortgage, no car payments, no credit card debt.

I can see where the term "giving back" might be inflammatory. Giving is hardest when you don't feel you have anymore to give, feel taken advantage of or that it's not appreciated. In the later, you just re-focus the efforts elsewhere.

My kids don't ask to geocache very often. However, they love a good CITO event. And their only comment after this one was that they want me to bring the truck & trailer next year.

I've always taught my kids that it's good to give back. It's a term that comes from the hip, and I'd never thought about it much. It can be quite humbling to serve a meal at the local soup kitchen, stand in line at a food pantry for someone in need that can't, or set an example for others that it's good to help out and clean up nature.

How does the trash get there my kids will ask. In some cases it's harder to dispose of and people take short cuts. Some folks have various mental defects, or just weren't taught differently. I tell them to be grateful that they know the difference.

This World, Country, State, County, City/Town, neighborhood we all live in is based on community. None of us would be able to live for very long w/out the community. Many of the folks that improperly discard trash are ones that do jobs which I'd rather not do. So if I can set an example and give back to the community effort how ever it is that I'm able.....I do my best. And that is all you can ever expect of someone.

If you're curious about the whole trash/clean-up mentality, check out the ignorant comments that were made by folks at the bottom of the linked article. Even if folks don't physically throw out garbage, their mouths make up for it w/another kind of pollution. It's the mindsets we're looking to change, then the actions will follow.

Give back to the whole in what ever way you can and as often as you can...